True Love Project: Some miracles do happen. Magic of altruism exists.
I still remember that February evening in 2016 where I held a bag of hot samosas in one hand and my son who was 4 years old then in my other arm.
My mother had asked me to go to the orphanage close by and treat the children for her birthday. The gentleman at the orphanage was busy on the phone and asked me to keep the snacks.
It is at that moment that something, some unexplained feeling, prompted me to ask that man if anything else was required for the children. All I had gone there for was simply dropping the snacks and this one question and the answer to this question changed my whole life.
The gentleman there pointed to a long list of ration and essential things and I took a picture and decided to circulate it to all my friends and patients and post it all over social media.
Within just a few hours of posting on social media, I had got commitments for all the things on the list. I delightfully collected everything over the next few days and went to the orphanage to give it to them. I saw the children, spoke to the authorities, and realised that if I have to make a positive change in their lives then this drive has to be ongoing and not be a 1-time thing. And so was born my second baby – the True Love Project.
I started off with 1 orphanage, then started adding other places to the project after careful inspection and selection. Today after 3 years the project assists 3 homes for children, 2 old age homes and 1 women’s NGO.
After initially starting off with ration, the project grew to include sponsoring children and women’s education, educating them about hygiene through trained therapy dogs, providing machines for women’s occupational training programs, conducting eye check-up camps for children and seniors, complete health check ups, providing follow up action in terms of investigative tests, arranging for medication, routine follow-ups, having entertainment programs, special meals. The project has also arranged for various drives which aim to provide brand new things for these homes – from shoes to school bags to towels and bed sheets. We aim for always collecting sanitation items to ensure that skin diseases and illnesses are reduced. We always try to ensure that we give healthy snacks like fruits and nuts to children. The aim of the project over the last 3 years has been to uplift the standard of living of all the children, women and seniors. There is a long road ahead.
We all lead super busy lives, with a million things to do, with ups and downs and stress and mood swings, but if we rise above all this and help anyone in whatever capacity we can, not always materially, but emotionally, or on any other level that we can manage, then the world will be a better place to live in. I was a cynical person but these last 3 years have shown me that there is still a lot of love and goodness in the world.
I walked in that February evening with 1 child in my arms and I walked out with my second baby, my True Love Project which is so close to my heart.
Heartfelt thanks to all the donors and supporters of my project. Without you, all the project would not have continued.
Sonam Rayani is running true love project since 3 years which aims to bridge the gap between the haves and the have nots
